The deadline for applications to the prestigious Langford Press Field Sketches Award close 15th September. If you are inspired by the natural world and work from life in the field please consider applying. The prize includes £200 and a choice of titles from the impressive collection of Langford Press art books. A selection of the winner’s sketches will be displayed at the annual exhibition of the SWLA The Natural Eye at Mall Galleries, London in October. Click here for more details.

The annual exhibition of the Society runs from 26th October to 6th November. There are over 350 artworks by more than 100 different artists (both members and non members) and includes displays from collaborative projects. There will be a major display of unframed work from the DKM/SWLA Turkish Sweetgum Project that took place earlier this year. Four SWLA artists spent time in Turkey working alongside 25 Turkish artists and students in the unique habitat of the Turkish sweetgum forests. Their guidance in showing new approaches and methods, such as working outside in situ inspired the students and proved to be a a rich and rewarding experience for all involved. Other unframed project displays include the RSPB/SWLA Wallasea Island Project and paintings by Darren Woodhead SWLA as part of his diving adventure as recipient of the Wildlife Trusts Undersea Art award who invented his own equipment to enable him to use watercolours underwater.

First established in 2007 the Wildlife Trusts Undersea Art Award is a fantastic opportunity for an established artist to learn to dive and use their experiences and resulting art to publicise the plight of our marine habitats and the need for protected areas. The award is open to any artist with a passion for nature who wants to find out more about the astonishingly varied submerged landscapes around UK shores that are hidden beneath the waves. Chris Rose spent time exploring kelp beds off the Northumberland coast and Harriet Mead dived the chalk shoals in North Norfolk. This talk will give an insight into the challenges of drawing underwater and shows how they were inspired by the whole new world that they encountered.

The talk is on Wednesday 26th October at 2pm in the Learning Centre at Mall Galleries and is free. No booking is necessary but as places are limited, please arrive early to avoid disappointment.

RSPB/SWLA Wallasea Island Project

SWLA artist Brin Edwards and Jeff Kew, Operations Manager Eastern Region RSPB will be giving an illustrated talk about the third SWLA/RSPB collaborative artist residency project at the Wallasea Island Reserve, which took place in October 2016.

The talk is at 3pm on Thursday 27th October in the Learning Centre at Mall Galleries and is free. No booking is necessary but as places are limited, please arrive early to avoid disappointment.

Six artists spent three days on the site observing and drawing wildlife in the newly landscaped habitat at this major new Essex reserve. The aim of the Wallasea Island Reserve is to combat the threats from climate change and coastal flooding by recreating the ancient wetland landscape of mudflats and saltmarsh, lagoons and pasture. It will also help to compensate for the loss of such tidal habitats elsewhere in England.

Inspired by urban wildlife? Why not submit to this open exhibition which will be taking place at Stamford Arts Centre in Lincolnshire from 5th-21st November? The opening will coincide with the New Networks for Nature Symposium. The show is themed around wildlife in urban settings so includes all flora and fauna. The submissions need to show the context of the creatures and plants that make their home in towns and cities.

Posted onDecember 31, 2014|Comments Off on Tweet of the Day illustrated by Carry Akroyd

Carry Akroyd spent last winter illustrating ‘Tweet of the Day’ – the Radio 4 series adapted into a book by Stephen Moss and Brett Westwood, which was published in April 2014. For the book Carry made 248 black-and-white mini-vignettes of the featured birds , and 36 colour pages, as well as the cover. Some of the colour pieces were included in the annual exhibition at the Mall in November.

Carry raised money for the Wildlife Trusts by having a draw for the original vignettes at the Trust’s HQ in Cambourne. Each vignette was a beautifully designed piece made from black paper cut and mounted to create the image.

For information about the program of events, workshops and talks held during the show please click here.

This year the Out of the Frame room will feature work from the BTO/SWLA Artists to Africa Project. In January four SWLA artists were sent to Senegal to look at the wintering grounds of many of our summer migrant birds and create work in response to the experience. The project will continue with artists visiting the summer breeding grounds in the UK. The artists: Robert Greenhalf, Bruce Pearson, Greg Poole and Esther Tyson will be talking about the experience on Saturday 1st November at the Mall Galleries. Dr Phil Atkinson from the BTO will also give an insight into the science and techniques involved including the satellite tagging of cuckoos. For more details and for booking information please click here.